Vessel for the reception of high-pressure gases.



Patented May 6; I902.

. A. LUDWIG. VESSEL FOR THE RECEPTION OF HIGH PRESSURE GASES.

(Application flied. Oct. 8, 1900.)

(I10 Model.)

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ALBERT LUDVVIG, OF BERNBURG, GERMANY.

VESSEL FOR THE. RECEPTION OF HIGH PRESSURE GASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,333, dated May 6, 1902. Application filed October 3, 1900. Serial No. 81,872. (No model.)

To (0 whom itmay concern;

Be it known that I, ALBERT LUDWIG, a sub ject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Bernburg, Anhalt, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Furnaces for Gases Under High Pressure, of which the following is a specification.

Apparatus as hitherto constructed for the reception of gases and adapted for the heating of substances within an atmosphere of high-pressure gasessuch, for example, as used for the production of artificial diamonds-are usually provided with screw-covers which are not adapted. to secure a perfectly-tight joint. The difficulty in providing a tight jointis due to the uneven stresses upon the screws of the cover. Escapes are particularly observable when working with very light gases and with pressures exceeding one thousand atmospheres. In cases where it is required to heat substances permanently by electricity in an atmosphere of high-pressure gases and at the same time intensely cool the containers the screwed covers are unsuitable.

The object of this invention is to provide a reliable and thoroughly gas-tight closing device for vessels or metal cylinders containing gases under high pressure, and, further, also, to provide a refrigerator adapted to effect a radial pressure upon the external cylindersurface, so as to effectually counteract the expansion and consequent permeability of the cylinder-wall due to the heat and the gas-pressure. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a vertical section taken substantially upon the linesAB of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the retaining-strap broken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken sub-' stantially upon the line C D of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view of the valve-stem, partly broken away.

A hollow metal cylinder (0 is provided upon the reduced portion of its outer surface with ring-plates Z) for strengthening and cooling it, the various rings being firmly connected together by means of screw-bolts and nuts I). The rings are formed with recesses c, which by passages z are in communication with each other and which serve as cavities for the reception and flow of cooling liquid passing through d d. By reason of the contraction of the rings through the cooling they produce strong pressure in a radial direction upon the metal cylinder.

The metal cylinder at is formed with a convex bottom 6, which reposes in a suitablyshaped support f in connection with a metallic strap g, composed of numbers of plates firmly secured together by bolts 9. Within the opening in the hollow cylinder a are placed the carbon or other electrodes c w for formingthe electric arc, the lower one being connected with the metallic cylinder and the upper one'with the spindle m.

The metal cylinder at carries at its upper portion the cover h, to which is secured a gasinlet nipple 70, a gas-regulating valve 2, and the electrode-regulating device. The inletnipple consists of a suitable tube 7o, which connects with the recess containing the valvestem t and with a suitable opening leading to the interior of the furnace. The valve-stem "i has an orifice, which in the well-known manner in the use of gas-cocks is adapted to complete' said openings by a partial turn of the stem to admit gas. The electrode-regulating device consists of arotatable spindlem, which at its reduced inner end carries a flexible suspension p, which supports the upper electrode. By turning the spindle m the height of the electrode is regulated. The cover, the upper portion of which forms a convex surface e, fitting a correspondingly-shaped metal block f is pressed against the aperture of the metal cylinder at byslightly-tapering wedges n a, driven between the strap g and the metal block f, provided upon the cup of the cover h. In most cases it will be found sufficient to firmly drive in the wedges a a without having to heat the strap g, and the apparatus can be so mounted in a few minutes as to enable it to support a pressure of several thou-- sand atmospheres without leaking. If, however, gases of low density are utilized, it may often become necessary to heat the strap and to tighten the wedges 'n a. After the strap has cooled it produces a pressure upon the wedges n a and upon the cover and'cylinder sufficient to close all the pores. By reason of the concentric relation between the metal cylindor and cover and the convex surfaces 6 and 6 said cover and cylinders will assume automatically a central position in the strap g, and a uniform pressure is exerted between all parts of the closing piece or cover and the cylinder. If the wedges n a are provided with division-lines or graduations, it will be easy to exactly regulate the pressure at which it is desired the gases or the liquid should escape from the joint 0 of the metal cylinder a by appropriately setting the wedges after slightly heating the strap to correspond to such pressure,which naturally must be within the safety limits of the apparatus. It is clear that the more firmly the wedges are driven in the more safe will be the joint, while, however, a certain definite maximum pressure may not be exceeded. By then measuring each time the existing pressure and marking the corresponding positions of the wedges to each other it will obviously be easy afterward to adjust the said wedges in advance to any desired maximum pressure, andin this manner it is possible to standardize other pressure-gages in communication with the cylinder ato thousands of atmospheres. The elastic strap g, preferably constructed of lamellar plates g, fixed by the wedges a a, expands at the required pressure and allows the gases or liquids to escape at the point 0, so that a special safety-valve is not required.

For fixing the pipe connections, current-inlets, valve-spindles, &c., the ordinary screws, which may be torn out by the high pressure in the vessel a, and which therefore are always a source of danger when working with high-pressure gases, may be replaced by a similar strap-and-wedge arrangement in the following manner: The flange 7L0f the cover, which is recessed at the parts where the connections Y1, 7c, and m pass through, is turned down at its outer periphery to receive the ring g, which is fixed by means of screws y afterfirst having placed the spindles and tube connections t', 71), and m, with coveringcaps q, bushings g and packing material g, into the aforementioned recesses, as shown in Fig. l. Thereupon between the bushings and caps q the wedges s s are driven, the one, 5, formed with a nose, taking beneath lower surface of the turned portion, while 3 can be tightly fixed by means of bridge-pieces and screw-nuts Leakage and disruption of the joints is thus effectually prevented. The cover may be utilized as a safety means against excess of pressures, as above explained, by regulating the same in driving in the wedges s s to a more or less degree. Thus in omitting almost all screws the apparatus, besides insuring against leakage, which is particularly of importance for light gasessuch as, for instance, hydrogen-has the advantage of being free from danger.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric furnace for gases under high pressure, comprising avessel having a cover, a fastening-strap inclosing the same, wedges adapted to force the parts together, means to hold the vessel and cover centrally within the strap and to allow self-adjustment so that a uniform pressure is transmitted to all portions of the apparatus, and means for producing an electric are within said vessel, substantially as described.

2. An electric furnace for gases under high pressure, comprising a metallic vessel having a cover and concave surfaces, a fasteningstrap inclosing the same, wedges adapted to force the same together,reeessed blocks adapt ed to receive said concave surfaces, and means for producing an electric are within said vessel, the arrangement being such as to allow of self-adjustment centrally and the trans mission of a uniform pressure to all parts of the apparatus, substantially as described.

3. An electric furnace for gases under high pressure, comprising a vessel having a cover, a fastening'strap inclosing the same, wedges adapted to force the cover upon said vessel, graduations upon said wedges whereby the parts may be adjusted to allow gas to escape at a predetermined pressure, means to hold the vessel and cover centrally within the strap and to allow self-adjustment so that a uniform pressure is transmitted to all portions of the apparatus, and means for produeing an electric are within said vessel, substantially as described.

4:. An electric furnace for gases under high pressure, comprising a vessel having a cover, a fastening-strap inclosing the same, wedges adapted to force the cover upon said vessel, a refrigerating device for said vessel comprising rings shrunk upon said vessel to produce a predetermined external pressure, means for cooling said rings, and means for producing an electric are within said vessel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of September, 1900.

ALBERT LUDWTG.

\Vitnesses:

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